Music of a Disordered Age: Chuci in the Music of the Qin

Mingmei Yip will speak on the ancient literary canon, Songs of the South (Chuci) at the China Institute in New York City.

The ancient literary canon, Songs of the South (Chuci), known for its fantastic themes and romantic imageries, has been a major source of inspiration for painters and musicians since China’s antiquity. A particular section of the composition, the Lisao (Encountering Sorrow), encapsulates the zeitgeist of a dissonant age that was the Warring States period (c. 475–221 BCE). In the original Chinese language, these poems are characterized by a haunting sensuousness and cacophonous musicality that is the quintessential spirit of the poetry of the south in Chinese literature.

The qin is a seven-string zither of ancient Chinese origins and is traditionally favored by scholars and gentlemen as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement. This special event will feature a general introduction to this musical tradition, followed by a performance of compositions on the qin inspired by Songs of the South, with singing.